


i guess that's deja vu but i thought this can't be true

by notthebigspoon



Series: Shoot The Moon [4]
Category: Baseball RPF, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-16
Updated: 2012-07-16
Packaged: 2017-11-10 02:00:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,569
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/460997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notthebigspoon/pseuds/notthebigspoon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Buster isn't ready to leave the Doctor. A small part of him had thought that it would be a forever thing. But like all the companions, he's had his fun and it's time to go his own way. He's lucky, in that he has something exciting to go back to. He's leaving one adventure for another, the comfort of the TARDIS for the spotlight of The Show.</p><p>Title taken from Drive By by Train.</p>
            </blockquote>





	i guess that's deja vu but i thought this can't be true

**Author's Note:**

> We're almost there folks. It's the beginning of the end.

The next day, the team starts a series in St. Louis. Buster ignores any attempts at phone calls from Tim and accepts the Doctor's help in finding an apartment and a vehicle to drive since his truck had been shipped back to Georgia with his other possessions. 

It's not as difficult as he'd anticipated. He's not picky and while he can be an idiot in some regards, the Doctor knew exactly what Buster would want: privacy. And while Buster might feel guilty about leaving the TARDIS for the penthouse apartment in a high rise building, it at least had a doorman and security codes for the elevators.

Since there's nothing that can't be done online these days, they order all necessities and have them sent straight to the apartment. Buster unpacks and distributes the contents to the right rooms, smiling to himself every time he hears clanging and swearing coming out of the doors of the TARDIS, which is parked in the corner of the living room. He's not sure what the Doctor is working on but he knows it's a present and he's not allowed to go inside until the Doctor says so.

As much as he's enjoying himself, though, he feels an inward ache of fear and heartbreak. This is it. There will be no more adventures and he's going to have to return to the real world. Realistically, he had known that this day would one day come. He just wishes that it hadn't come so soon.

It's not like he doesn't have any options and that he's coming home blind. Technically the Giants still hold his contract and since they've just released some douchebag after he got drunk and drove his car off a pier, they've placed Buster on the 40 man roster. He's supposed to report for practice the next day and while he's afraid of just not being any good anymore, there's a rushing warmth that reminds him just how much he's missed the game.

Another bang and a puff of smoke stirs him from his thoughts and he snorts when he sees the Doctor stumbling out of the TARDIS.

“Didn't lose your eyebrows this time?”

“That was _once_ and it was your fault!”

“Maybe a little.” Buster admits, because River had told him what would happen if he messed with the Doctor's electric kettle configurations and had winkingly warned him that it was never to be done. The only thing left was to do it. “What were you doing anyways?”

“Thought you'd never ask!” The Doctor beams, whipping out... a small white flip phone.

Buster just gives him a blank stare.

“Oh for...” The Doctor mutters, throwing it to Buster and looking rather proud when Buster catches it. “You never know what might arise. Alien invasion, busted toaster, busted Buster. You might need to reach me. And I might need to reach you. I've modified this. Only I can ring you on it, and the only number it dials out to is the TARDIS.”

It's a huge gesture, Buster knows, and he doesn't know how to respond. He chokes on the words and instead strides forward, wrapping his arms tight around the Doctor, lifting him up as he buries his face into the Gallifreyan's neck. “You're the best thing that's ever happened to me.”

“Oh, no, I'm not. You haven't met them yet.”

“What? Who?”

“Ah ah ah, Buster Posey. Spoilers.”

The next day, for one last time, Buster takes a ride in the TARDIS. They enter it in Buster's apartment and exit it outside the park. They take a few steps away from the doors and Buster drops his bag, looking at the TARDIS before looking at the Doctor. 

“I... you'll never know how much all of this meant to me.”

He hugs the Doctor tightly and steps back, managing a wobbly smile before picking up his bag and walking inside, resolutely not turning around for one last look.

What he doesn't see is the Doctor, lingering in the doorway of the TARDIS with a pained smile on his face. Nor does he hear the whisper, “And you will never know how much I cared for you or how badly I want for you to stay with me.”

The door shuts and, with her usual screeching, the TARDIS fades away.

***

Buster Posey is twenty six years, three months, thirteen days, 18 hours and 45 minutes old. He only vaguely remembers the day the Doctor left. The first thing that had happened when he'd arrived in the clubhouse was that he'd been hustled off to talk to Sabean, with Bochy listening in on the speaker phone. They'd drilled him on his level of commitment, demanded to know how hard he was willing to work and how badly he wanted it. He got one chance and one chance only.

He's done his damnedest not to disappoint.

He thinks he knows what people talk about when they say that a year has been a blur. He can understand the concept anyways. For him it's been crystal clear, every moment and every detail standing out sharply in his mind. Arriving in San Jose and meeting who would be his teammates and coaches for however long. Arriving early and staying late, very nearly running himself into the ground in an attempt to prove himself. He'd never admit it but he'd been terrified to leave San Jose for Fresno. It was a _good_ thing to go but he'd never gotten over wondering if he was good enough to be allowed back.

He played fall ball and winterball on advice from Vogelsong. He'd known he was being watched, he wanted to show them how much he wanted it, how hard he was going to work for it. It had earned him an invite to spring training, although he hadn't been chosen for the 25 man roster. It really, truly hadn't bothered him. Fresno wasn't so bad and honestly, his tiny by the week apartment there was less lonely than the penthouse in San Francisco. He was performing well, his body had stopped screaming at him two innings in and he was hearing good things about his chances to be called up.

Something about it seemed like it should be going wrong.

Things had certainly caught up to him in other areas. His mother and father would speak to him, but there was tension. His family and friends at large seemed to question the validity of the mental break, wondering how he could just turn up again out of nowhere, so fully well. The media was even less kind, tearing him apart on a daily basis. If there wasn't a mistake in game play, they questioned his mental status... and sometimes they coupled the two together. It would have been frustrating if it weren't so amusing. Daily texts from Amy and Rory helped.

They'd flown out for a game once and he'd kissed them both square on the lips when he'd picked them up at the airport. It had made the news and he'd gotten an email a few days later from Jack Harkness asking why _he_ never got any of that. Buster had told him to come visit, he'd think about it.

He's building things back up with Tim. Their friendship isn't what it used to be but it's getting there. His teammates, new and old, have learned to stop walking on eggshells around him for fear that he'll lose his mind again and to torture him just like they torture each other. Wilson even eventually manages to not shadow Buster everywhere he goes when they happen to be in the same city, after a tearful and somewhat embarrassing conversation (involving what Wilson called a very manly hug) that later they both agree to never discuss again. 

Today, however, is one day he knows that he will never forget. Because Whitey went down and they'd needed a warm body and this was Buster's shot to come back. They called last night and he'd left the minute he hung up the phone.

He's alone in the locker room as the team starts their way to the field for the game. The team is in the middle of a series against the Astros and he's catching for Cain tonight. As he's closing his eyes and taking a breath, he feels someone stepping into his space. He looks up at Tim and offers him a light smile as he stands up. “Even with the games they've been playing me in, I still feel like a rookie. How stupid is that?”

“Not stupid. Should be proud of yourself. Everyone thought the franchise was insane for putting you back in the way they did and look what's happened. You're even better than you were before. You've been directly responsible for wins. You've been... incredible. Just incredible.”

Buster smiles, ready to suggest they follow the others when Tim surges up into his space, crushing their lips together. As adamant as Buster has been that it won't happen again and that they'll be friends only, he finds himself responding, hands sliding into Tim's hair. They break apart when they hear a yell from down the hall that they need to hurry up.

Tim steps back, blushing and breathless. “You're incredible.”

He takes off, jogging through the tunnels and falling into step next to Pablo and Hector. Buster follows slowly, a wide smile on his face.


End file.
